I just bought my second THD. I called Bright House (possibly better named Dim Shanty) to get the cable cards installed. The rep told me that they don't support Tivo's. When I pointed out that I have one now and that they installed cable cards in it just weeks ago, I got put on hold. She came back and said that they do support them, but that they don't install the cards -- I have to come get them. When I reminded her that they installed them for me just weeks ago, I got put back on hold. Finally she came back and scheduled an appointment. Amazing.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. | To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Did the rep speak broken English? If not I can't imagine why she couldn't understand you the first few times you explained it.

She spoke clear English without even a hint of an accent. In Indiana, the reps appear to be true locals. She just seemed baffled by almost everything (cablecards, TIVO's, etc.). She even said that this was her first cablecard request.

Quote:

Originally Posted by windracer

I would've jumped on the opportunity to do a self-install!

I thought about tring a self-install for about two seconds. BUT... then I thought about my last experience with them. The senior "troubleshooting" tech that Bright House sent out for the 2nd visit spent 45 minutes on his Nextel trying to get his coworker to activate the card in the Bright House system. Based on that, I decided that doing a self-install with them on the other end of the phone would be slightly less fun than running my hand through a meat grinder.

Here is what the admin of my cable company posted. It is small, but their cable boxes do have cablecards for digital cable. Yet they don't hand them for TVs or TIVO. Is that legal?

____________________________
Donovan
Administrator
Sr. Member

Offline

Gender:
Posts: 370

Re: Cablecard
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2007, 06:52:40 AM »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All new boxes (units purchased after June 2007) have separable security - meaning they are authorized by means of a CableCard. However, the cards are bound to the boxes. Later in the year we anticipate getting a few of the cards by themselves so that customers with CableCard compliant televisions can use them.

Here is what the admin of my cable company posted. It is small, but their cable boxes do have cablecards for digital cable. Yet they don't hand them for TVs or TIVO. Is that legal?

They're legally bound to provide the CableCARDs, and it should be no mystery to them. This "oh, we don't have any right now, but we will eventually, we think" line that some companies try to feed their customers is ridiculous. You can try filing a complaint with the FCC via their online submission form - that's what I did, and trust me, getting that letter from the FCC saying there's a complaint on record will really make them sit up and pay attention.

I had a 10A-12P installation window with Bright House today. The installer showed up at 11:40 without calling ahead (contrary to what the scheduler said would happen). Other than that, he was great. He brought an MCard (the same MCard that his coworker said that Bright House Indiana wouldn't ever have). He got it working almost immediately. The guy he talked to on his Nextel put it in the system and both channels of HD encrypted programming immediately appeared. I have no idea what I'll get billed, but so far it is working great.

So, to summarize, I was told by Bright House that they don't support Tivo's and that they don't have MCards. Today I had an MCard installed in my Tivo by a Bright House installer.

Well I purchased a Tivo HD this week and peformed the initial setup to download the last software prior to Brighthouse coming onsite since there were known issues with SA cables cables.

The initial setup went fine several days ago and I updated the Tivo HD software to the lastest version

Bright House tech shows up on time with a M series card. He had never done a M series installation. I showed him the various instructions and screen shots from the forum and I actually performed the installation myself while he watched.

The Tivo HD recogized the card like it was suppose to and he called the information from the M series card to the dispatch dept.

I will summarize the next 6 hours. The card ended up not being authenticated properly on the NOC at Bright House in Brandon. Several M Series CC were tried and two trips by the tech.

It took me about 6 phone calls to Bright House and we finally got it working.

Had a pair of CableCARDs installed in one of my S3s on Saturday. Other than installer showing up 90 minutes after scheduled window, the install went without a hitch. Until now, I have had BHN standard cable. Since I live close to the Bithlo antenna farm, I can get HD via antenna (or clear QAM). However, once the wife learned that Food Channel HD and HGTV HD were now available as part of BHN digital cable lineup - she had to have it. [And since History Channel HD had also been added, I was easily persuaded.] I called BHN and ordered a pair of CableCARDS - didn't even tell them they were for a TiVo, and they didn't ask what device they were for. Price for 2 S-Cards plus upgrade to DPP was additional $12.95/mo.
When installer arrived, he was expecting to install into a pair of TVs. When I showed him the TiVo, he was surprised. I asked if he'd ever installed to a TiVo before. He said no, so I walked him through it. I installed each card, and pulled up the configuration screen. All he had to do was make the call. At first, he wanted to do both at once, but I told him no. Did them in sequence, tested after each one, and was done in less than 15 minutes. During entire process though, he did keep trying to sell me on switching to a BHN DVR.
When the rumored MRV capability for S3s shows up, I'm all set. I can record History Channel shows on 'Her S3' and watch them on 'His S3'. <big smile>
By the way, the addition of the Food Channel HD, HGTV HD, and History Channel HD are so recent to lineup that the TiVo doesn't provide the Guide data for them yet, but the channels are there. If you don't get them, repeat Guided setup.

I am using the Tivo HD which is the lower priced model of the Tivo dvr's that are capable of HD recording. The other model is a Series 3 which also does HD recording.

The Tivo HD supports either one M type cable card or two S type cable cards. I went with the one M series card and it has two tuners in the one card so I can record two HD programs on different channels at the same time.

Bright House is only charging me for one cable card at $3.95 per month

well, according to my wife, tivo is now up and running with both cablecards. apparently, despite me leaving the instructions with the "install one card at a time" line highlighted, and my wife insisting that the tech install one card at a time, he put in both at once.

of course, the tivo then did not work.

after four hours, he unplugged both, and installed one at a time.

miraculously, it worked right away.

i have not yet gone home and checked it myself (i am on call until 1am unfortunately)

So, can anyone confirm whether or not M-Cards are available in the Tampa area?

Also, does the S3 still not support these? I would love an additional S3, but would rather get rid of the 2 S-Cards @3.95 each, and get 2 M-cards plus an additional TiVo if it were possible. I don't want to give BH any more money than I already do! (Plus I live too far from the metropolitan areas to get more than a few OTA HD channels! :-( )

About 2 weeks ago, I hooked up a TIVO HD in my bedroom. When I called to activate, I indicated that I wanted an M card and to be sure it was on the order. After the tech came and picked up the 8300HD, a supervisor came with the M card and we were up and running in about 20 minutes (most of the time was on the phone with the office). The supervisor had experience with TIVO installs and was very knowledgable. He ever left his cell number in case I had any problems! An excellent experience which I hope will be repeated as I just got a second HD for the main room.

I am in Lakeland - Polk County Brighthouse. I have had 2 S-Series CableCards in my S3 for over 6 months. Recently they seem to lose thier activation repeatedly. Right now they have been "rehit" by phone support multiple times. One is working again, and one will only show me basic cable. I am about to reboot and see if that will help.

I have scheduled service visits twice. On first visit the tech had no cablecards. On second visit the tech came in with two old cards he had "found in his truck." I said thanks but no thanks and sent him on his way. My signal strength is good. Any ideas?

Anyone in Orlando get an M card for a TivoHD? I see other areas in FL getting them...

I had an M-card installed in a TivoHD last week. Lake Nona area.

However, I suggest you keep calling BHN until you get a cable card knowledgeable rep. My experience:

Day 1:
Spoke to rep who knew about cable cards but was enough of a salesman to make me think twice about getting rid of BHN HD-DVR. He said cable cards MUST be installed by BHN. He offered me some deal to reduce my bill by ~$10/month.

Day 2:
Decided to go with cable cards. Bought a TivoHD. Called BHN and spoke with a rep who didn't know much about cable cards. She said I couldn't get cable cards without returning my DVR first because cable cards are only offered as a replacement. I said that makes no sense. She put me on hold for a long time. Came back and said I could come to the cable store and pick them up myself. Told her that's not what I was told yesterday. She put me on hold for a very long time. Came back, said a few words and then put me on hold for a very long time again. I hung up (almost an hour by this point). I called back and spoke to another rep. I asked for a rep that knew about cable cards. She said she could help me. I told her the 1st person I spoke to said that BHN had to install them, but the 2nd person said I could come get them myself. She said 2nd person was wrong and an installer MUST do it. She asked me what model TV I had and I said it was for a TiVoHD. She scheduled an appointment.

Appointment:
I was expecting 2 S-cards. Installer showed up with 1 card. I said I needed 2. He said, "But this is an M-card." He said he'd done cablecard installations before, but never on a TiVo. TivoHD already had the latest updates. He gave me the card and I put it in Slot 1. The Tivo initially showed 2 numbers that were needed by the installer, but we did not write them down. Afterwards the TiVo took over and installed some kind of update to the card. It took about 10-15 minutes before it was finished and we could get back to the screen with those 2 numbers. He then called BHN, gave them the numbers, and within a minute, both tuners were working with all basic, pays & HD channels. Installer says, "Wow. You'll be able to remove the cost for the HD-DVR and remote rental as well as the Navigator from your bill. Maybe I'll go back to TiVo."

Yesterday:
I bought another TiVoHD. I called BHN last night to schedule an appointment. Rep had no clue. She acted as if she knew what cablecards were but kept putting me on hold; so I knew something wasn't right. She proceeded to schedule an appointment. I asked that the installer bring an M-Card. She puts me on hold.

Conversation...
Rep: We don't have M-cards.
Me: Yes, you do. You installed one for me last week.
(Rep puts me on hold)
Rep: Is the one you already have an M-Card?
Me: Yes.
Rep: Well, are you going to replace that one with this one?
Me: No.
Rep: Well, what do you want this one for?
Me: I'm replacing my remaining cable box.
(Rep puts me on hold for a long time)
Rep: What kind of TV do you have?
Me: It's going in a TiVo, not a TV.
(Rep puts me on hold)
Rep: We only install cablecards in TVs.
Me: No. You installed one in a TiVo for me last week.
(Rep puts me on hold)
Rep: The cablecards will not work in a Tivo.
Me: I'm watching cable right now on the TiVo you guys put a cable card in last week.
Rep: The M-Cards will not work in a TiVo.
Me: I have a TiVoHD. They do work, as I am watching cable on my M-Card using TiVo right now.
(At this point I could hear the rep covering the phone and repeating my responses to someone in the background and getting her responses from him.)
Rep: Cablecards have to be installed in a TV.
Me: Thank you. I'll call back.
Rep: So you don't want to schedule the appointment?
Me: No offense, but my experience is this can be a nightmare if you're not dealing with people who know anything about cablecards. So no, I will call back another time.
[Click]

I will call again today, and keep calling, until I get someone who knows about CableCards. I will also check my installation receipt from last week and see if I can get the name/# of that installer. There needs to be a secret code or something only for people that have graduated from CableCard University so the conversation can go something like this:

Rep: How may I help you?
Me: May I please have a rep that knows something about cablecards?
Rep: I can help you.
Me: What's the passphrase?
Rep: Huh?

Wow Young Dragon, you've had one heck of a ride with the Cable Cards! I'd suggest using the online system to schedule an appointment. Go here and you'll get an email in a few hours with a response and appointment. I'm glad to hear someone here locally has gotten an MCard! My install is scheduled tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes!

Say something in the email like:

BH,
Please send a tech out between 10am and 12pm on 11/3 to install (1) Multi Stream Card.

Wow Young Dragon, you've had one heck of a ride with the Cable Cards! I'd suggest using the online system to schedule an appointment. Go [removed] and you'll get an email in a few hours with a response and appointment. I'm glad to hear someone here locally has gotten an MCard! My install is scheduled tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes!

Say something in the email like:

BH,
Please send a tech out between 10am and 12pm on 11/3 to install (1) Multi Stream Card.

Thanks,
Young Dragon

Good luck with that! After talking to 6 different reps and a supervisor over the last 3 hours, I was finally able to schedule an appointment for another CableCard installation on Friday.

That's right... it took all of that just to SCHEDULE a cablecard installation!

Problem... when I returned my HD Box, the morons removed my HD Tier. So now HBO HD, SHO HD, and all the 1300 channels are gone. Reps had no clue how to put them back on because the system kept telling them they couldn't give me HD channels since I have no HD cable box on my account. I explained to them that the cablecard should be treated as if it was a box. If I had 5 BHN cable boxes and returned one of them, the other 4 should still work. Supervisor said the problem was that whoever scheduled the install, listed both of my cablecards (the one I was requesting, as well as the one I've had over a week now) as pending installs... [As it turns out, one of the reps I spoke to was new. Neither that rep nor her supervisor had any idea what an M-card or s-card was. So even though I hung up, they kept my account open trying to figure out how to work with cablecards. So "current" supervisor had to call that office to get those people out of my account before proceeding..] She said she knew what codes to use to set everything right. However, she did not share the procedure with her reps (shouldn't someone be training the reps???), and as of this moment it is still not working.

So now, I am waiting for the tech to come do the install in the new Tivo on Friday and troubleshoot the one they did last week. So, possible issues will be:

1- Tech comes with 1 card that is not an M-Card.
2- Tech cannot get previous install working again.
3- Tech gets everything working correctly, but when BHN gets my remaining DVR back in the office and removes it from my account, I lose my channels and have to go thru all this nonsense again.

Sad to say but there are very few people within Brighthouse that either have the knowledge about cable cards or they are trying to drag their feet and not support the customers requests to install cable cards.

I would suggest you find out where your Brighthouse headquarters are and call the main switch board and ask to speak to someone in executive management concerning a unresolved customer support issue.

That approach worked for me and I do get better than average responses when I call the key people I have knowledge of.